My Top 10 Beers of 20114
For me, 2011 was a fantastic year in beer. From homebrewing to festivals, bottle shares, brewery release events, pub crawls and just sharing a beer with friends and family, it’s certainly one to remember. After an in-depth look back, I’ve narrowed down from over the 500+ unique beers I’ve recorded tasting to my Top 10 of the year.
Excluded from this list was any beer I tried prior to 2011. So, as much as I love Pliny the Elder and Founders KBS as the next guy, they were eliminated from the nominations since I’ve had them before. Without further ado, here’s the compilation:
10. Voodoo Black Magick – Smooth and full of bourbon, this Imperial Stout packed a decadent and boozy flavor.
9. Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout – Chilies, chocolate, vanilla beans, cinnamon? Yep, all here balanced beautifully.
8. Round Guys BerlinerWeisster-WeissterBerliner – Tart, light, crisp and refreshing – this is one to look out for from this up-and-coming brewery.
7. The Bruery Black Tuesday – Even at its massive 18+% ABV, this bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout drinks so easily and has tons of complexity to go with it.
6. The Alchemist Heady Topper – Probably the best Double IPA you’ll find in a can. With their cannery up and running, there’s plenty hoppy, resiny goodness to go around.
5. Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Stout – Complex bourbon, wood, chocolate and dark fruits lead this one-time brewed Imperial Stout aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels into the Top 5.
4. Samuel Adams Utopias – At 27% ABV, this drinks more like a fine spirit than anything. Sweet maple syrup and rich malts along with plenty of heat (and the price tag!) make this a special occasion “beer.”
3. Firestone Walker Abacus – The outstanding rich, malty and fruity base of this beer was perfect for bourbon barrels, and what an outstanding beer it became.
2. Dark Horse Barrel-Aged Plead the 5th – My favorite barrel aged Imperial Stout so far. Bursting with overwhelming bourbon notes, wood and plenty of chocolate, this beer is easily a top-notch selection if you can find it.
1. Kern River Citra DIPA – Juicy citrus fruits, oranges, mango, pineapple and the like are seemingly bursting from this beer. Hoppy, bitter, fruity and so drinkable – it was my favorite beer of the year. Once the glass was finished, it was a sad, sad moment.
I wasn’t surprised to see a majority of the selections were Imperial Stouts, as they are one of my favorite styles. All I can say is that I hope 2012 brings as much fantastic beer as 2011 did. And thank you to all who’ve shared or been part of partaking in these fine beers with me. Cheers!
Shane Holland is the Editor-in-Chief for Passion Beer.
He is a self-proclaimed craft beer geek and an all around lovable dork. He loves homebrewing, everything Philadelphia, traveling and enjoying the pleasures of life.
i realize you already have the kern on there, but hill farmstead’s double citra was the beer of the year for me.
Sounds great but unfortunately I’ve never had it!
Too bad you couldn’t make it out for the Black Note tapping at Devils Den… Easily the best Impy Stout evar.
A great list of beers Shane, for sure. I’ve had 8 of 10 and have to agree that they are all stellar and worthy of your list. If only I could have gotten you some Bruery Humulus Lager. It is probably a close 2nd to Citra for me. Also, Kern’s 5th Anniv DIPA was as good, or dare I say, better than Citra. I woulda bumped Rare and dropped Abacus down. Does the 07 Cantillon Iris you sent me qualify? Probably a Top 5er for me. Pure Joy in a bottle. Here’s to an even better 2012! Cheers!